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Rating: 
Summary: Three and a half stars
Review: A cute book with wonderful illustrations; unfortunately it seems like the author came up with a great idea (at least for light cocktail party conversation) but really had to reach for enough material to form a book. Better as a gift for a Wizard of Oz fan than for a Zen Buddhist...
Rating: 
Summary: are you kidding me?
Review: An interesting idea behind the book... finding the spiritual connections and philosophy behind the story of the wizard of oz. The writing style of the book is poor, redundant, and not terribly smooth (inconsistent pronoun usage, repetitive sentence structure, etc.) The book has its glimmers of insight, but in general, I think it looks way too much into the Wizard of Oz- and that means a lot coming from someone who usually gives new-age, self-help, and spiritual books more credit than they probably deserve sometimes. The very basic connections between the Yellow Brick Road and intuition or following the true self, and the basic metaphors of each the scarecrow, lion, and tin man are backed by literary evidence and are argued logically... and I think these basic connections are compelling. Prevelant is the idea that each of the characters, whether his/her search is for brains, courage, a heart, or home, actually possesses these qualities already... it's just a matter of discovering this truth. Green also goes into the philosophy of love, intelligence, courage, and one's personal "home" or the self, and that too is interesting (but at times can be a stretch when relating it back to the story). The book sometimes takes great dives into detail, jumping to conclusions that are based 100% on speculation ... of the author, and not at all on a logical connection. An example you ask? Well, the Lion, while being primped at the Wash & Brush Up Co. in Emerald City, the author observes, gestures "with a decidedly limp wrist, possibly insinuating that his sexual orientation is a 'fate I don't deserve.'" The author continues to discuss the lion's inability to come out of the closet to come to terms with his true self, assuming that his limp wrist gesture and interest in fine fabrics means the he is gay. Frankly, I think the lion was just acting like a wealthy king. He also suggests Ms. Gulch is a "victim of her own repressed sexuality." To come to this conclusion would require pure speculation based upon [standards], and though the idea has good intentions, it actually weakens his overarching statement. The idea of the book was obviously very interesting to me, but ... the book has left me disappointed and unsatisfied. The kernels of truth in the book are cluttered by details that are not fully developed. But the pictures are cool, I guess.
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible!
Review: Joey Green has written an awesome book, filled with incredible insights about the Wizard of Oz. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves this movie. You'll discover a wealth of beautiful and enriching spiritual messages. Unbelieveable!
Rating:
Summary: The low down on the hoe down.
Review: Just when you thought you had a firm grip on those psychological heroes from the cultural abyss, Green takes ahold of these sacred virginic icons and gives your life a run for its spiritual money. By examining our subconcious choices, Green drives us deep into the realites of exactly why those characters where who they were and why they preformed true to form. One word of caution though, If you always identified with the Masterful Wizard, you may be in for a shock to the proverbial system, finding out that he was nothing but a bully, equally as bad as the Wicked Witch. Myself, I always saw myself in the Scarecrow, a man made of straw. Regarded by few and respected by none, caught an eternal crossroads of life with an arm going in both directions - but feet - frozen by own indecision.Examining Karma can be a good thing and enlightening, done without the rote mental abberations that push us away from the tasks that usually have a positive and lasting effect on us. So, jump down off that cross, clock tower, wooden pole in corn feild, or where ever it is you find yourself unfortunately by choice and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: To the Young at Heart.
Review: On one of my recent journeys through the Land of Oz, the Ozarks, I visited with my friend Roger S. Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum-the author of the Wizard of Oz. I asked him what he thought about the theory of his great-grandfather being a Zen Master. He admitted he really didn't know. That he hadn't read The Zen of Oz. That it has been his experience that such things were only done by people that saw an opportunity to make money off Great Grandfather's work. After I explained the gist of Joey Green's premise I did notice a slow smile take over Roger's face. He was intrigued. Though he would not corroborate Joey's claims he did state that Great Grandfather would probably not turn over in his grave if he knew about The Zen of Oz. The one caveat Roger then mentioned was that first and foremost the Oz Series is a collection of fantasies for the young at heart. Meant to be taken with sincerity but not too seriously. The rest of our conversation was private.
As for me, I find The Zen of Oz quite clever and entertaining. It has added to my enjoyment of the classic movie. I see the movie in a whole new light. Almost as though I am seeing it for the first time. We are Dorothy. Prodigal sons and daughters venturing out into the world on our own only to find out that there is no place like home. That the Wizard can't really give us anything we don't already have. That there is an inner spark of the Divine within each of us. That the Yellow Brick Road is an inner path that leads to the great beyond and that each of us must make the journey for ourselves. To realize that no matter where we are we are already over the rainbow for we make the rainbow. That life is a great mystery and that we are the greatest mystery of all. That life is full of wonder and joy, as well as pain and sorrow. That as Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."
A personal thought that I would like to add to "The Zen of Oz." Totality, Toto, is a synergetic organic unity greater than one but less than two. The whole of ultimate reality is greater than the sum of its parts. We are not alone. Though there is more than one of us there is not a second. We are family and there is no place like home. And dogs really are man's best friend.
Rating:
Summary: Does wonders when given to others
Review: So many people have seen and related to the subject matter of the text, almost everyone can easily identify with one of the characters. However, this book takes the identifications that we make and expands, edifies and reassures us what we inherently know. It's not easy to summmarize deep issues. I've given this book to several people to read, all of them reported back with amazement and long discussion. Buy this and conduct your own study of what people say about it, you'll be amazed, and probably have more freinds.
Rating:
Summary: The Tao Te Ching of the Silver Screen
Review: The Zen of Oz is a book worthy of both the Tao Te Ching and The Wizard of Oz. Both of these famous philosophical tools can be used as a guide for following the Yellow Brick Road toward a greater understanding of self and life. Joey Green masterfully applies the wisdom of the East to demonstrate the profound power and simplicity of the wisdom contained within the most popular film ever made in the West. As the author of a book about the Wizard of Oz myself, "The Oz Factors", I applaud Joey Green for his marvelous, magical book. If ever a Wiz(ard) there was, there was...
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: The Zen of Oz is a thoughtfully laid out interpretation of an American Classic. Joey Green offers up so much insight for consideration that, often times, my brain felt as full as if it had eaten 2 holiday dinners. Follow the yellow brick road to your check book and buy this one for every human you care about. No one will leave Oz dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: A humorous and spiritual tour de force.
Review: Wizard of Oz has always held a fascination as a metaphor of the human situation. Mr. Green takes that metaphor several steps further with equating Dorothy's Journey to that of the student of Zen, searching for enlightenment. Each of the characters comes alive in personifying the ten lessons to be learned in life. Get the book and answer the question, "Are you a good witch or a bad one?"
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